The Central Cuban Relief Committee, of New York, which had been appointed by the President of the United States, had abundant means to maintain this work that had been so successfully inaugurated, and it is greatly deplored that the unfortunate declaration of war prevented the carrying out of all the plans that had been so carefully matured, and which would have saved the lives of thousands of men, women and children who now lie under the sod.
Having made the best possible arrangement for the maintenance of the institutions we had brought into being and had fostered in Havana; and with the saddest regrets that we should have to abandon a work so well begun, we boarded the ship “Olivette” on April 11, and started for the United States. After a great deal of discomfort, caused by the overcrowding of passengers and the heavy seas, we reached Tampa, Fla., on April 13. After a day or two of rest, Miss Barton proceeded to Washington with Drs. Hubbell and Egan, the remainder of the party stopping in Tampa.
There were at that time probably about fifteen hundred Cuban refugees in Tampa and eight or nine hundred in Key West, who were entirely dependent. The Red Cross took upon itself the task of maintaining these poor people, and for a period of seven months its agents provided for them. It should be said, however, that the citizens of both these cities appointed committees and did all they could to relieve the necessities of these large bodies of indigent people.
Early in April it had been decided to charter a steamer in New York and to load her with supplies and send her to different ports in Cuba, where her cargo could be unloaded in such quantities as might be required. Accordingly, the steamer “State of Texas,” of about eighteen hundred tons burden, was chartered from Messrs. Mallory & Co., of New York, and notwithstanding the fact that our party had been obliged to leave Havana, and that subsequently war had been declared, the preparations for sailing were kept up, and the steamer was loaded with a cargo of fourteen hundred tons, which embraced a fine assortment of substantials and delicacies, and many household articles, medicines and hospital stores. When she was finally loaded in the latter part of April, the “Texas” sailed for Key West in charge of Dr. J.B. Hubbell, with Captain Frank Young as sailing master, arriving there on the twenty-eighth of that month.
Reception at Tampa.
In the meantime, Dr. Jos. Gardner and wife, of Bedford, Ind., had joined our party at Tampa; and soon after Miss Barton, Dr. Egan, Mr. D.L. Cobb and Miss Lucy M. Graves came along, and it was arranged that the entire party was to leave Tampa on the evening of April 28, to go aboard the steamer “State of Texas,” at Key West, and remain on her until the army had made a landing in Cuba, when it was expected that we should be able to resume our work there. The day of the evening we were to leave Tampa, Mrs. J.M. Towne, the lady at whose house our party was stopping, gave a reception in honor of Miss Barton, to which General Wade and the army officers who were then stationed there, and many ladies and gentlemen of that fine little city, were invited. It was a most brilliant and enjoyable occasion, the uniforms of the officers and the lovely toilets of the ladies making a picture that will long remain in the memories of those who saw it.
The Relief Party Returns to Key West.
On our arrival at Key West, on the afternoon of April 29, we were met by Dr. Hubbell and Mr. C.C. Bangs, who had been sent by the New York committee to assist in our work; and Mr. A. Butler Duncan, a well-known gentleman of New York, and were taken aboard the steamer “State of Texas,” where we were welcomed by Captain Young, and where we subsequently passed many pleasant weeks together. A few days later we were joined by Mr. Geo. Kennan, First Vice-President of the American National Red Cross, and his wife.
Key West at that time was a very busy place, the harbor being filled with naval vessels which came in there daily from the Cuban blockading squadron for coal and provisions. Miss Barton immediately paid her respects to Captain Harrington, of the monitor “Puritan,” who was the senior commander of the port, and presented her credentials from the State and Navy Departments. Subsequently she placed herself in communication with Commodore Sampson, and stated her desire to reach Cuba at the earliest possible moment.
Many naval officers and citizens of Key West called on Miss Barton daily, and this attention, combined with her enormous correspondence, kept her time fully occupied till late in the night. There was scarcely a day that some accident of more or less severity did not happen to some of the sailors or workmen on the many auxiliary craft that were in the harbor; and the Red Cross doctors were at all times in demand. In order to keep every one in the best preparation for possible contingencies of any kind, everybody on the ship was instructed and drilled in the various phases of his or her particular kind of work; and thus all were kept happily and busily engaged. The doctors inaugurated a series of lectures for the benefits of the nurses and others, and clinics were of frequent occurrence, and every member of the party benefited by the practical knowledge thus attained in bandaging and taking care of various kinds of injuries.